Bottle blowing machine



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E. P. MOSLO BOTTLE BLOWING MACHINE Jan. 7, 1964 1B Sheets-Sheet 18 Filed Dec. 25, 1960 W Y QfQaM/ywm Tramways f United States Patent O 3,116,516 B'ITLE BLGWING MACHINE Ernest P. Moslo, 2443 Prospect Ave., Cleveland, Ohio Filed Dec. 23, 1960, Ser. No. '78,100 2i) Claims. (Cl. lil- 5) This invention relates generally to the art of forming hollow objects out of thermoplastic materials such as polyethylene, polystyrene, or vinyl and more particularly to a machine for making bottles or similar articles by the method of inating a preformed parison of flowable plastic inside a hollow mold of desired shape whereby the plastic is forced outwardly in every direction until it conforms to the mold walls.

Basically, the present invention as herein illustrated and described comprises three molds with corresponding mold clamps positioned side-by-side and two unitarily mounted groups of parison core rods adapted to be selectively disposed within adjacent pairs of *the molds. The groups of core rods are mounted upon a vertically movable and laterally shiftable table and extend horizontally outwardly into the area of the molds whereby when the molds are closed, the core rods are disposed therein. Each mold comprises a plurality of individual mold units corresponding to the number of core rods in each group. The central mold is adapted for the injection molding of parisons upon the core rods, and the side molds are adapted for blow molding the finished articles.

Injection means is provided adjacent the parison mold for plasticizing granular molding material of the type referred to and injecting it into the closed molds to form the parisons upon, for example, a lrst group of core rods. Concurrently with the injection of the plastic, air is introduced under pressure through the second or remaining group of core rods disposed Within one of the side molds whereby previously formed parisons thereon are blown into completed articles.

Subsequent to the above, the molds are opened by the clamps, all of the core rods are raised by the table, and the finished articles are ejected from the second group of core rods disposed adjacent the side mold. The table then shifts laterally whereby the rst group of core rods with their newly formed parisons are transferred to the opposite mold, this movement simultaneously disposing the second group of core rods in alignment with the parison molds. The core rods are then lowered, the molds are closed, and the above cycle is repeated; the parisons are injection molded upon the second group of core rods while the articles are blown by the first group of core rods, the clamps are opened, the core rods are raised, and the newly blown articles are ejected.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a machine of the type as set forth above wherein the various elements of the machine are so operatively interrelated and controlled as to be fully automatic in use and completely adaptable to a wide variety of thermoplastic materials of the type suitable for blow molding. To attain this end, means are lprovided for carefully controlling the temperature of the plastic at every stage of production including means for regulating the temperature of the core rods, parison mold, blow molds, and ejection apparatus as well as the plasticized molding material within the injection means.

A further objective is to provide control means regulating and timing each movement and operation of the machine automatically whereby it repeats the manufacturing cycle indefinitely without further manipulation by an operator.

A still further object is to provide, in a machine hav- ICC ing the above characteristics, safety interlocks between the various operating elements which make it impossible for the machine to operate in other than the correct manner. These interlocks are aimed at protecting persons near the machine as well as the machine itself against damage caused by inadvertent interference with the operation of the machine or the improper operation of a single part. Such interlocks also prevent waste of time and material such as would be caused by the continuing operation of a faulty machine.

This invention also contemplates specific improvements in the individual operating elements of the machine as well as improvements in the interrelation between different elements such as will become readily evident from the following specification and the accompanying drawings, in which said drawings:

FIG. l is a front elevation of the bottle blowing machine of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the machine as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged front elevation of the molds and the core rod table support assembly;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail in partial section taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmental longitudinal section taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the molds and table showing the parisons in section, the direction of the view being indicated by the line 6 6 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal section of a core rod and a blow mold associated therewith;

FIG. 8 is a detail sectional view of the end of the core Vrod of FIG. 7 enlarged and showing it in another position;

FIG. 9 is a transverse section taken along the line 9 9 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a View similar to FIG. 8 showing a modified end portion of a similar core rod;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 7 showing another embodiment of the core rod;

FIG. l2 is an enlarged detail of a mid portion of the core rod as shown in FIG. l1;

FIG. 13 is a transverse section taken along the line 13-13 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is a transverse section taken along the line 14-14 of FIG. 1l;

FIG. l5 is a fragmental perspective View of portions of the core rod holder and base showing the ow path of air and water to the core rods;

FIG. 16 is a front elevation of the parison mold clamp assembly;

FIG. 17 is a fragmental section taken along the line 17-17 of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a front elevation of the left hand mold clamp assembly;

FIGS. 19 through 23 are schematic views showing, in sequential steps, the relative motions of the molds and core rods;

FIG. 24 is an enlarged section taken along the line 24-24 of FIG. 19;

FIG. 25 is a section of a core rod with parison positioned in a closed blow mold just prior to blowing the article;

FIG. 26 is an enlarged detail as indicated in the circle 26 of FIG. 25;

FIG. 27 is an enlarged detail as indicated in the circle 27 of FIG. 25;

FIG. 28 is an enlarged section taken along the line 28-23 of FIG. 19;

FIG. 29 is a view `in full lines of a completed article positioned on a core rod just prior to ejection of the article, with dot-dash lines showing the direction of ejection;

FIG. 30 is an enlarged side view of the material injection assembly mechanism of FIG. 1 shown in partial section;

FIG. 3l is a fragmental plan view of a portion of the material injection assembly as seen from the line 31-31 of FIG. 301;

FIG. 32 is a front elev-ational view of the injector manifold as seen from the line 32-32 of FIG. 30;

FIG. 33 is a fragmental vertical section taken along the line 331-33 of FIG. 32;

FIG. 34-34A is a diagrammatic showing of the electrical circuits for operating the machine;

|FIG. 35 is a diagrammatic showingr of the hydraulic system of this machine; and

FIG. 36 is a diagrammatic showing of the pneumatic circuits of this invention.

Referring now to the drawings in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals, FIGS. 1 and 2 show, generally, the machine of this invention which comprises -a supporting frame d upon which the various operating elements of the machine are unitarily mounted. As well shown in FIG. 2, the frame 5t) supports a bed Si adjacent the rear of the machine in front of which is provided -a pair of upwardly projecting, forwardly extending, parallel mold clamp supporting members 52 and 53. The mold clamp supporting members are laterally spaced a uniform distance on either side of the center line of the machine and are rigidly connected adjacent the upper ends thereof by means of a cross member or plate 54. The mold clamp supporting members 52 and 53 are of identical configuration having vertically upright portions SZrz--Sa and right angularly disposed, forwardly cantilevered portions 52h-53h. Adjacent the lowermost ends of the upright portions 51m-53a and directly beneath the forwardly cantilevered portions 52b-53b, there is provided a lower mold support base 55. The base 55 extends laterally across the front of the machine and extends in either lateral direction beyond the limits of the frame 50 as well shown in FIG. l.

It will be understood that the bed 51, the mold clamp supporting members 51E-53, and the lower mold support base S5 are all unitarily and solidly mounted upon the frame 56 in any suitable manner.

The forwardly projecting portions 52h and 53h provide mounting means for a parison mold clamp assembly S6 positioned therebetween. A left blow mold clamp assembly 57 is mounted upon the outer side of the supporting member 52 by means of laterally projecting brackets 5S. In a similar manner, a right blow mold clamp assembly 59 is secured to the laterally facing, outer surface of the supporting member `53 by means of the brackets 60. The parison mold clamp assembly 56 includes a vertically reciprocably acting cylinder and piston motor 6l adapted to vertically move an upper parison mold half 62. In a similar manner, the mold clamp assemblies 57 and 59 include cylinder and piston motors 63 and 65 adapted to vertically move upper blow mold halves 64 and 66 respectively.

kThe support base 55 supports the lower mold halves beneath each of the mold clamp assemblies. The lower parison mold half is indicated at 67 and is iixedly secured in the center of the support base 55' to complementarily engage the upper parison mold half 62 when said upper mold half is lowered by means of the cylinder 61. In like manner, lower blow mold half 68 is ixedly secured to the base 55 beneath the upper blow mold half 64,

and lower blow mold half 69 is rigidly mounted beneath the upper blow mold half 66.

assembly 70 would be positioned generally beneath said parison mold and the left blow mold. The table shift ing assembly 7) supports and carries with it in its lateral movement the parison core rod holder assembly indicated at 71. The `core rod holder assembly 71 comprises generally a vertically shiftable table 72 upon which are mounted a pair of laterally spaced core rod holders '73 and '74. As seen in FIG. 1, -the core rod holder 73 is disposed on the left side of the table 72 whereas the other core rod holder 74 is disposed on the right side. In this position, core rods shown at 75 which are associated with the left core rod holder 73 are positioned between the parison mold halves 62, 67, and those core rods associated with the right core rod holder 74 are positioned between the right-hand blow mold halves 66 and 69. `It will be understood that when the table shifting assembly 70 moves all the way to the left, the core rods of left-hand core rod holder 73 would be disposed between the blow mold halves 64, 68 while simultaneously the core rods of the right-hand holder 74 would be disposed between the parison mold halves 62, 617.

Referring now to FIG. 2 of the drawings, the bed 51 supports a material injection assembly which is generally indicated at 80. Said material injection assembly is adapted for movement toward and away from the lower parison mold half 67 by means of a slideway 81 which is securely mounted upon the upper surface of the bed 51. The material injection assembly Si) comprises a hopper 82 into which the molding material is initially placed in its granular state. A material feed mechanism 83 transfers the granular molding material in predetermined amounts forwardly to a funnel 84 from which it drops into a packing cylinder 85. Rearwardly of said packing cylinder there is provided an injection cylinder 36 having a forwardly and rearwardly reciprocating ram S3 adapted to propel `the downcoming granular molding material in a forward direction into a material heating chamber or plasticizing head S7. The material heating chamber 87 is so positioned adjacent the parison molds and in communication with spaced nozzles 314i) (iF-IGS. 32, 33) that when said parison molds are closed upon the core rods, parisons are injection molded upon said core rods by means of the material injection assembly as will later appear.

It will be understood that the overall views of the machine of this invention as shown in IFIGS. 1 and 2 are greatly simplicd in a semischematic manner to more readily clarify the relative positions of the main operating elements of the machine. Details of each of the major elements are clearly shown in subsequent views which will he described and discussed in detail.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the table shifting assembly 7d comprises a laterally movable, generally rectangular housing ltltl which is longitudinally bored to provide a cylinder 101 therethrough. rI'he housing 1% is slidably mounted to the forward face of the support base 55 by means of a T-shape track 102. The housing ldd is recessed as indicated at 103 (FIG. 4) said recess mnning longitudinally the length of said housing and adapted to slidably t over and abut the upwardly and downwardly facing edges of the T-shape track 192. Mounting gibs 104 are secured to said housing at the rearward `face thereof and extend partially over the recess 133 whereby said housing is maintained in slidable engagement with the track 162.

As well shown in FIG. l, stops 1&5 and N5 are provided adjacent the ends of the track 162, said stop being positioned adjacent the left-hand end of said track and stop 136 being positioned adjacent the right-hand end of said track. The stops 10S-1&6 extend fonwardly from the forward face of the support base 55 adjacent the bottorn of said base and support therebetween a piston 107 by means of a pair of oppositely extending piston rods 1413 and The piston rods 1163 and i559 are thread litted at their inner ends into the ends of the piston 197, 

6. A MACHINE FOR MOLDING PLASTIC ARTICLES COMPRISING A CENTRALLY DISPOSED PARISON MOLD AND A PAIR OF MOLDS DISPOSED ONE ON EITHER SIDE OF SAID PARISON MOLD; ALL OF SAID MOLDS COMPRISING UPPER AND LOWER MOLD HALVES; MEANS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING ALL OF SAID MOLD HALVES TOGETHER; A PAIR OF CORE ROD MEANS UNITARILY MOUNTED TOGETHER AND PROJECTING RESPECTIVELY BETWEEN SAID PARISON MOLD HALVES AND THE HALVES OF A FIRST BLOW MOLD; MEANS FOR LATERALLY SHIFTING SAID PAIR OF CORE ROD MEANS WHEREBY THEY ARE MOVED TO A POSITION PROJECTING RESPECTIVELY BETWEEN SAID PARISON MOLD HALVES AND THE HALVES OF A SECOND BLOW MOLD; INJECTION MEANS INJECTING PLASTICIZED MOLDING MATERIAL AT SAID PARISON MOLD WHEN ONE OF SAID CORE ROD MEANS IS BETWEEN SAID PARISON MOLD HALVES IN CLOSED POSITION AND THE OTHER OF SAID CORE ROD MEANS IS BETWEEN THE CLOSED HALVES OF A BLOW MOLD; MEANS OPERATING CONCURRENTLY WITH SAID INJECTION MEANS DIRECTING AIR THROUGH SAID OTHER OF SAID CORE ROD MEANS; ELECTRICAL CONTORL MEANS INITIATING AND MAINTAINING AN AUTOMATIC CYCLE OF OPERATION OF SAID MACHINE WHEREIN THE MOLDS ARE ALTERNATELY OPENED AND CLOSED, FINISHED ARTICLES ARE EJECTED FROM THE CORE ROD MEANS AND SAID CORE ROD MEANS ARE SHIFTED LITERALLY EACH TIME THE MOLDS OPEN, AND PARISONS ARE INJECTED UPON ONE CORE ROD MEANS AT THE PARISON MOLD AND OTHER PARISONS ARE BLOWN INTO FINISHED ARTICLES AT A BLOW MOLD EACH TIME THE MOLDS ARE CLOSED; SAID CORE ROD MEANS INCLUDING VALVE MENAS HAVING EXPOSED, OPERATING PORTIONS; EACH CORE ROD MEANS HAVING A CYLINDER AND RECIPROCABLE PISTON ROD MOUNTED UNITARILY THEREWITH; A PUSHER BAR MOUNTED UPON THE DISTAL END OF EACH PISTON ROD IN SUCH MANNER THAT EXTENSION OF SAID PISTON ROD BRINGS SAID PUSHER BAR INTO OPERATING CONTACT WITH SAID OPERATING PORTIONS; A STRIPPER PLATE SLIDABLY MOUNTED TO EACH SAID CORE ROD MEANSIN SUCH MANNER THAT ANY ARTICLE DISPOSED ON SAID CORE ROD MEANS IS EJECTED THEREFROM BY MOVEMENT OF SAID STRIPPER PLATE; EACH SAID STRIPER PLATE CONNECTED TO ITS ASSOCIATED PUSHER BAR AND MOVED THEREBY WHEREBY WHEN SAID PISTON ROD IS EXTENDED, SAID PUSHER BAR OPENS SAID VALVE MEANS AND SAID STIPPER PLATE IS MOVED AT THE SAME TIME; AND MEANS DIRECTING AIR TO SAID CYLINDER TO EXTEND SAID PISTON ROD SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE DIRECTING OF AIR AT EJECTION PRESSURE TO SAID CORE ROD MEANS.
 17. CORE ROD MEANS FOR A BLOW MOLDING MACHINE COMPRISING A CORE ROD HOLDER; A SPINDLE MOUNTED AT ONE END THEREOF IN SAID HOLDER HAVING A DISTAL END THEREOF PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID HOLDER; SAID SPINDLE HAVING VALVE MEANS THEREIN ADMITTING AND EXHAUSTING FLUID FROM SAID DISTAL END; SAID VALVE MEANS HAVING AN OPERATIVE MEMBER PROJECTING FROM THE MOUNTED END OF SAID SPINDLE BEYOND SAID HOLDER; A PUSHER BAR DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID OPERATIVE MEMBER; AN APERTURED STRIPER PLATE TELESCOPED OVER SAID DISTAL END AND NORMALLY DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID HOLDER; MEANS CONNECTING SAID PUSHER BAR AND SAID STRIPPER-PLATE FOR UNITARY MOVEMENT IN THE DIRECTION OF THE AXIS OF SAID SPINDLE; RECIPROCABLE POWER MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID PUSHER BAR IN SUCH MANNER THAT WHEN ACTUATED SAID STRIPPER-PLATE MOVES OUTWARDLY ALONG SAID DISTAL END AND SAID PUSHER BAR IS MOVED INTO CONTACT WITH SAID OPERATIVE MEMBER TO OPEN SAID VALVE MEANS. 